1/13/13
John set his pen down on the desk and leaned back with a huge sigh of accomplishment. Today’s addition to his savings account had at last brought the total to his long-term goal. He’d done it!
It was evening and he was at home in the little “office” he had set up in the third bedroom. This is where he would pay bills, finish work he brought home occasionally, or escape from his wife and step-daughter when they got too demanding.
Although he was 43 years old, he was just ten years into his first marriage. He didn’t like to acknowledge it, but he knew the reason. He was short, overweight, balding, and lacked social skills. In other words he was a stereotypical computer programmer. Only when he had despaired of ever finding someone did he finally ask his friends to fix him up.
His wife was a couple of years older and came with an early-teen girl from a first marriage. Happily things had worked out. He learned she could be easy to get along with; he just had to let her make all the decisions. And this was fine with him. It relieved a bit of the stress that had become the center of his concern of late.
A year ago he noticed a ringing in his ears whenever the pressures of work or home got too much. At first it would disappear once he calmed down, but now it was always there. He suspected it was blood pressure, but he didn’t want to go to the doctor to have it confirmed. He also didn’t tell his wife or she’d stay on him until he gave in.
He had health insurance through work; so that wasn’t why. He just didn’t want to be put on a bunch of pills for life. So he was treating it himself by cutting down on salt and trying to lose weight.
John had just put away the bank books and switched off his CD of Strauss waltzes when the phone rang. It was his younger sister. “Hey, Sharma. What’s up? … What do you mean you need to borrow some money?!”
Sharma, a nurse practitioner, made three times as much as John. She was on her third marriage and had a twelve year old son from her first. Her husband made a good income too. So it was puzzling why they would need to borrow money. He knew she could blow through a bundle pretty easily. She had a six bedroom house even though there was just three of them in her family. She liked jewelry and clothes, while her husband enjoyed expensive toys. Even so, their incomes should be enough. Soon the mystery was revealed.
“How can you go four years without paying income taxes? … He didn’t pay anything?! … What about the withholdings from your paychecks? … Got it back as refunds? How …?!”
John didn’t hear much of what else was said; his ears were ringing too loudly. He didn’t want to “lend” her the money. He knew from experience she’d never pay it back. There was always something she needed to buy rather than repay him.
Unfortunately the IRS was already placing a lien against her house and moving to garnishee her wages. So in the end John agreed to help, even though it would take more than half his savings.
After hanging up he laid his head on the desk. He didn’t know which of them was stupider — her for getting into these messes, or him for always bailing her out. And his savings! It had taken so long to build up; and now it was gone in one blow. What would he tell his wife? He knew how she felt about Sharma’s extravagance and self-inflicted problems.
. . . . .
Two months later John was again in his home office paying bills. He had cut out all his family’s fun items and had even tightened their budget for essentials in an attempt to rebuild his savings. His family had stopped being supportive and was growing increasingly vocal in their displeasure at his parsimony.
As anticipated, Sharma hadn’t yet found any money to begin paying him back. Yet she wasn’t suffering any lack of luxury now that the IRS was satisfied. Things got especially tense each time she came over to show off a new dress or talk about a weekend getaway she’d just had.
The phone rang, and answering it John heard a familiar voice. He spoke tersely, “Hello, Sharma. What’s up? … What do you mean she needs to come stay with me?! What happened to her place? … Can’t she stay with you? Your house is twice the size of mine. … Okay, okay. I’ll call her.”
It seems their mother had run out of money and was being evicted from her home. John couldn’t understand how this could be; Mom had received a large settlement in the divorce from Dad. As he wondered what could have drained her money a terrible thought began to form. But he pushed it away.
A week later John’s office had been taken apart and made into a bedroom for his mother. Since she really was broke, the cost of supporting her fell completely on him. He had questioned her about her financial loss, but she wouldn’t say much. He had asked his sister to contribute to Mom’s support; but nothing came of it. And he had hit a stone wall when he again suggested to Sharma that her house was bigger and Mom would be more comfortable there. Now he was wondering how he could make it.
Daily clashes between his wife and his mother made his house a battle zone. As soon as he came home both of them tried to be first to tell him what the other had done. He made peace as best he could, telling each one privately that she was right.
Without a room to retreat to, he had started taking walks each evening to the neighborhood park. He’d sit on a bench facing the pond and watch the water birds play. This small suburban-pastoral setting was his last means of depressurizing. Often he’d stay there two hours. Being well after dark when he got home, the three women would each have gone to their rooms.
. . . . .
The final straw wasn’t long in coming. John came home to the usual uproar; but today’s topic was unexpected. Mom had just received a check from Dad for $50,000. He had sold an investment property, and the divorce stipulation required giving her half. His mother’s whoop of joy had caused his wife to ask what was happening. They were now arguing about Mom paying to live there.
After John got them separated he went to Mom’s room to talk. He wasn’t as direct as his wife, but he let her know that if she wished to help with the expenses it would be very appreciated. She agreed in principle; but said they could work out the details the next day, as she was tired from the argument.
Things were looking up. If his mother gave a little money toward the house, his wife might feel less resentment. John had already decided that whatever the amount he would give it all to his wife to spend as she wanted. He’d keep paying the bills from his salary somehow.
So coming home the next evening he was actually looking forward to speaking with Mom. But while walking up to the door he heard a loud honk behind him and turned to see a Hummer pulling into the driveway. This was odd; he didn’t know anyone with a Hummer. Then the doors opened and he saw his sister getting out of the driver’s side and his mother getting out of the other.
John’s mouth dropped as realization hit him. The door of the house opened behind him and his wife and step-daughter came out to see the commotion. Sharma burst with excitement, “Look what Mom just bought me!”
John then entered something like a trance state. He muttered, “That’s nice; that’s nice,” a couple of times to his sister and mother. He couldn’t respond when his wife pulled on his sleeve and hissed something. He just walked into the house, went to his bedroom, and lay down.
He could no longer hear anything because the ringing had now been joined by a heavy pounding; and even his eyes weren’t focusing. Mom’s money had just gone to Sharma; again! As he thought of this the pressure in his head increased until it was hard to concentrate. John tried to sit up, but couldn’t. He then opened his eyes, and the last thing he saw was a flash of brilliant red light.
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